Constipation: Medication

Constipation: Medication

If dietary changes don’t get things moving after a few days, your child’s doctor may suggest a stool softener, suppository, a mild laxative, or even an enema. However, never give your baby a suppository, laxative, or enema without first consulting your pediatrician, since regular use can lead to your baby relying on them to go.

If your doctor does suggest a suppository, insert it at least an inch up into his rectum and hold baby's buttocks together for a few minutes until it dissolves. You can also squirt a dropper of liquid glycerin into the rectum at the first sign of straining. Liquid glycerin will also help heal tears in the rectum caused by constipation; fresh blood on the diaper is a sure sign of these rectal fissures.